Roundtable: Young Thug’s Aesthetic

Is Thugga’s aesthetic a symbol of progressive black masculinity or appropriation?

Last night, social media erupted in response to news about Young Thug. But most people weren’t talking about the music on his newly released mixtape, No, My Name is JEFFERY — they were talking about the cover. On it, the rapper is dressed in a periwinkle dress and holding a matching parasol. Many questioned whether Thugga’s aesthetic was a symbol of progressive black masculinity or appropriation of queer aesthetics and culture. MTV News writers Doreen St. Félix and David Turner talked with cultural critic Michael Arceneaux about the controversial cover.